Chapter 23: Saving Medic
I landed softly beside Rain, making no sound as I floated down instead of jumping. She was holding a torch in her mouth, the light casting dramatic shadows on her face. I couldn't help but find her look endearing. "Let me help you," I offered, my voice gentle to avoid startling her further.
Rain jumped slightly, clearly surprised to hear my voice so close. She turned to look at me, her eyes wide. "Man, make some noise next time! You scared me just now," she admonished, taking the torch from her mouth.
I took the torch from her and began examining the wires. It quickly became apparent that they had been disconnected. Rain, with her quick and skilled hands, began to reconnect them.
As we worked, I heard a faint scuttling noise, like a rat running somewhere nearby. My senses immediately went on high alert. I knew it must be rats that had escaped after being infected with the virus.
Rain paused, her head tilting slightly as she listened. "Did you hear something?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
I directed the torchlight towards the broken steel net window, illuminating the jagged hole. "Look," I said, my voice laced with curiosity, "It seems like something has either gotten in or out through that hole."
Rain followed my gaze, her expression serious as she scrutinized the damaged window. She seemed deep in thought, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of what we were seeing. After a moment, she shook her head slightly, indicating she found nothing out of the ordinary.
Trying to divert her attention and ease the tension, I suggested, "It's probably nothing. Let's head back up." Rain nodded in agreement and began to climb up. I followed closely behind her.
The train was illuminated after the wires were connected and it started moving towards the hive.
I sat down with Alice and saw she was still worried about not remembering anything and said to her " Don't worry your memory will be back soon " Alice looked at me and nodded.
Rain approached the compartment where Spence was being held and attempted to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. She stepped back, her brow furrowed in frustration. Seeing her struggle, Kaplan stepped forward to assist. With a swift motion, he unlocked the door and slid it open.
As soon as the door was ajar, Spence tumbled out, falling directly onto Kaplan. The sudden impact caught Kaplan off guard, causing him to stumble back in surprise. His eyes widened, and he let out a startled gasp, clearly spooked by the unexpected encounter.
Seeing Alice's gaze fixed on Spence sent a surge of jealousy coursing through me. I couldn't stand the thought of her attention focused on him. At that moment, a primal desire took over—I wanted her to be mine and mine alone.
Medic approached Spence, examining him with a critical eye. Spence stirred and woke up, blinking in confusion. Medic began to ask him a series of questions, ending with, "What is your name?" Spence looked disoriented, unable to recall even his own name.
The train soon reached its destination, and the group began to disembark. I walked out with Alice and Matt, Spence trailing behind us. We reached a metallic door, which the team started to open. Spence, finally finding his voice, asked, "Where are we going? Who are you guys? What is this hive you're talking about?"
James and Kaplan took the lead in explaining. They told Spence that he and Alice had worked as security for the entrance to the hive at the mansion. Kaplan showed a video of the hive on his laptop. Alice and Matt listened intently, trying to absorb the information.
Rain joined us, her voice urgent. "Sir, we have breached the hive."
I followed Rain as she led us to the entrance. James and Kaplan discovered that the elevator was out of order, so they guided us down the stairs instead. As Alice and I descended, I turned to her and asked, "Are you okay? Do you remember anything?"
Alice looked at me, her expression serious. "No, it's just fragments of memory. It feels familiar, but I can't quite grasp it."
I placed my hand on her shoulder, my voice comforting. "Don't worry. The effects of the nerve gas will wear off soon, and you'll remember everything." I studied Alice's face, noticing a subtle change. She seemed to have matured suddenly, her temperament stronger. I suspected her instincts as a warrior were kicking in.
We soon reached the hall with many sealed chambers in it and I knew there must be some biological weapons maybe Lickers are in them. Kaplan soon found that this area was not mentioned in the map.
Matt and Rain stayed in the chamber hall while all of us moved ahead.
Soon we reached the room with various computers in it. I knew that the iconic scene of people being sliced by laser had come. But I decided to save Medic. I didn't care whether James or another other member of their team died or not but I couldn't let Medic get hurt.
Kaplan worked at the door until it finally yielded. James swiftly entered, placed the transmitter, and signaled for the team to follow. I watched as two team members and Medic was going to enter the hallway, carrying a bag filled with equipment designed to shut down the Red Queen.
I stepped towards Medic, taking her hand, and looked directly at James. ''You don't need her in there,'' I insisted. ''She doesn't have to go."
James looked at Medic and nodded indicating that it was okay for her to stay with me.
As the two soldiers entered, the hallway was sealed shut behind them. The laser activated, and Alice watched in horror as James was swiftly bisected.
'Kaplan, open the door!' Alice, Spence, and Medic screamed in unison. Kaplan worked frantically at the controls, but by the time the door finally slid open, it was too late for James. His body lay in pieces on the other side.
Now, only the five of us remained: Alice, Spence, Medic, Kaplan, and myself
I glanced at Kaplan, knowing that according to the plot, he would accompany Alice to set up the equipment and shut down the Red Queen. My objective was clear: I needed to secure the Red Queen's motherboard and servers and reprogram her to follow my commands exclusively.